Statement from Rick Hamilton, Mayor of Elliot Lake

ELLIOT LAKE, ON, March 1, 2013 /CNW/ - The partial roof collapse at the Algo Centre Mall on June 23, 2012 forever changed the city and residents of Elliot Lake. On behalf of the City I want to again extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of those who perished.

I cannot stress enough the important role that our first responders, including the City's fire fighters, Emergency Control Group, EMS, the OPP, the Office of the Fire Marshal, the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team and various government agencies played in both addressing the initial scene and the rescue operations.

This incident was a "career" incident for the all the first responders on the scene and one which the vast majority of first responders across the country will never witness. The magnitude and destruction of this incident is one that we hope to never see again.

In terms of the incident, like any emergency situation, I am sure that there are lessons to be learned. The City welcomes the Inquiry both as an examination of the structural integrity of the Algo Centre Mall and the emergency management/response and for any of the findings which will help improve emergency services and response throughout the country.

SOURCE: City of Elliot Lake

Mayor Rick Hamilton
City of Elliot Lake
[phone] ext. 2132